Steering apparatus for vessels.



J. IRVIN. STEERING APPARATUS FOR VESSELS.

APPLIGATIONIILED MAR, 1, 1912.

1,037,011, Patente dAug.27, 1912; N

xi-i---" S We 1 Y n i i wlTNEsss N INVENTOR A Y I G JMM .romvsoiv mvm, or CORAOPOLIS, PENNSYLVANIA.

' surname arrana'rus FOR vnssELs.-

' To all ll7h0m it may concern;

l3eit known that-I, Jomvsbiv IRVIN, a cit zen of the United States of America, re-

siding at Coraopolis, in the county of A1 legheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steering Apparatus for Vessels, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

Thisinvention relates to a'steering apparatus for vessels, and more particularly to that type of boat used on lakes, streams. and other bodies of water. The primary object of my invention is to provlde a steering apparatus that will facilitate placing a vessel in shore or in proximity to a pier or other vessel;'

Another object of this invention is to provide a steering apparatus wherein a fluid pressure is utilized for moving the stern of a boatsidewise.

A further object of this invention is to provide a steering apparatus that can be 25 advantageously used in connection with that type of craft used upon the' Mississippi and Ohio rivers and their tributaries wherein shallow water is encountered and paddle wheels-resortedto for propulsion purposes.

The principlesof my invention are illustrated in the drawing wherein there is illustrateda diagrammatic plan of the steering apparatus.

Further describing my invention with reference to the drawing, 1 denotes the stern portion of the hull of a boat that has the ordinary type of rudders 2.

3 denotes a main reservoir and 4 a boiler, these bein located in the hull of the boat or upon the deck thereof.

5 denotes a donkey engine that is con nected by a pipe 6 to the boiler 4, said pipe having a valve 7 whereby the supply of steam from the boiler 4 to the donkey en gine can be controlled.

8 denotes a pipe connecting the engine 5 to the main reservoir 3 and this pipe has a shutoff valve 9 and a check valve -10 that prevents water from flowing into the engine.

11 denotes a compression cylinder having a piston 12 and a plston rod 13 operated by a suitable source of .power, preferably the operating engine of the boat.

14 denotes a pipe connecting the compression cylinder 11 to the main reservoir 3, said pipe having a shutoff valve 15. A

Application filed. March 1, 1912." Serial m. 0,955.

. 16 denotes longitudinally. i parallel dis charge pipes provided with elbows 17, shut .ofi' valves 18 and nozzles 1 9,'said valves and nozzles being located' at the inner sides of the hull and zit-the stern ofthe'bo'ati. The

discharge pipes 16 are provided with beads 20 connected by branch pipes 21 to a twoway valve 22, which is connected-by a pipe 23 to the main reservoir 3.

24 denotes a pressure gage carried by the compression cylinder 11 for determining the" amount of pressure within said cylinder.

, The cylinder 11 provided with an exhaust pipe '25 having a'check valve 26.

In operation; the -donkey engine 5 is placed 1n operation to pump water into the main reservoir'3 and into'the compression ,cylinder 11; the piston 12' being' in a retracted position whereby the cylinder 11 can be filled with water. The engine 5 is operated until the reservoir 3 and the cylinder 11 are completely; filled with water under :specification of Letters Patent. Patented l as high a pressure as possible. The donkey engine is then shut down and simultaneous with the operation of the piston 12, the valve 22 is opened whereby the water within the reservoir 3 can pass through the pipes 23 and 21 to one'of the discharge pipes 16. The piston 12 forces the water from the cylinder 11, and the mam reservoir 3 and the nozzles 19 of the discharge pipes 16, and the force of water is sufiicient to move the boatsidewise in a desired direction, according to which way the valve 22 is opened.

The valves 18 are employed for closing the discharge pipes 16 when one of said pipes is not to be used, thereby preventing debris and other matter from entering the pipes.

After the vessel has been moved, the donkey engine can again be placed in operation to recharge the reservoir 3 and the compression cylinder 11.

It is thought that the operation and utility of the steering apparatus will be apparent without further descript-ion.- and while in the drawing there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention, itis to be understood that the structural elements are susceptible to such variations as fall within the scope of the appended claim.

VVhat- I claim is:

In a steering apparatus. the emubinaiion with a vessel of a main reservoir. an engine for iorcing \vater min said reservoir. a boiler for supplying steam to said engine, a

compression cylinder incommiinication with said main reservoir and adapted to receive water from said main reservoir, discharge pipes in communication with said main reservoir, nozzles carried by said pi es and protruding from the sides of sai vessel, shutofl' valves in connection with said nozz1es,a two-way valve cont-rolling the supply of water from said main reservoir to said discharge pipes, and means connection with said compression cylinder for forcing water under pressure from said cylinder and said main reservoir into one of said discharge pipes".

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature 15 1n the presence of two witnesses.

JOHNSON IRVIN. Witnesses:

CHRISTINA T. Hoon, K. Kaunas.

Copies of this patent may be obtained. for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner-oi Patents,-

' Washington, D. G." I i 

